Georgia is introducing new restrictions on the sale of hemp products, requiring some basic standards for rental housing, lowering income taxes and requiring security deposits
GEORGIA, United States (AP) — Georgia on Monday imposed new restrictions on the sale of hemp products, required some basic standards for rental housing, cut income taxes and required bail for dozens of new crimes.
This is one of the many laws passed by the General Assembly earlier this year and took effect on July 1st.
A portion of the bail law that limits the ability of individuals and charities to post bail for others was put on hold by a federal judge on Friday after a lawsuit challenging its constitutionality was filed.
RELATED: These new laws take effect in Georgia on July 1 | Here's what they are
Another law that would require online websites to collect data on big sellers who collect payments in cash or another offline method was also challenged in a lawsuit but was not immediately dismissed by a federal judge after a hearing Friday was blocked.
Other laws took effect when Gov. Brian Kemp signed them, including a measure signed May 1 that requires prison guards to check the immigration status of inmates. That's already the law in Georgia, but Republican supporters say some prison guards are ignoring their duties.
The immigration law was passed after the murder of nursing student Laken Riley on the University of Georgia campus. Jose Ibarra, a Venezuelan, has pleaded not guilty to murder and kidnapping charges related to Riley's death.
Here's a look at some of Georgia's new laws:
Income taxes
A previously planned state income tax cut is being accelerated under House Bill 1015, giving the state a flat 5.39% income tax rate retroactive to Jan. 1. As of that date, Georgia will have a flat income tax rate of 5.49%, falling below a 2022 law that deviates from a number of income brackets that peaked at 5.75%.
The income tax rate is expected to fall by 0.1% annually to 4.99% if government revenue remains stable. By reducing the tax rate from 5.49% to 5.39%, the state will forgo an estimated $300 million. This is in addition to the $800 million the state is expected to forego as part of the previous tax cut.
A separate law will reduce the corporate tax rate from 5.75% to 5.39%. According to the law, the corporate tax rate would continue to decrease along with the personal income tax rate until it reaches 4.99%. The corporate tax cut would cost $176 million in the first full year.
Hemp products
Retailers are only allowed to sell hemp products like CBD to people 21 and older under Senate Bill 494. Manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers must obtain permits from the state Department of Agriculture. Products can only be sold if they have been tested, with state agriculture departments also regulating testing laboratories.
Hemp products must include test results and a warning label if they contain THC, the chemical in marijuana that causes a high. Officials said products they had tested in the past contained illegally high levels of delta-9-THC and that labels did not accurately reflect a product's ingredients.
The measure prohibits the sale of hemp products within 500 feet of a K-12 school and bans hemp products that look like existing snacks or candy to make them less attractive to children. That could ban hemp-infused brownies, cookies and candies, but experts say gummies and hemp-infused drinks are still legal.
The measure limits how much delta-9 THC a product can contain and also aims to prevent the sale of products containing chemicals that can be converted into THC. Other CBD substances such as delta-8-THC and delta-10-THC remain legal in Georgia.
Rental standards
Landlords in Georgia would be required by law for the first time to maintain rental properties in habitable condition under House Bill 404. The bill also adds air conditioning as a utility that cannot be turned off until an eviction notice is filed, along with existing requirements for the provision of heat, light and water.
The law requires a landlord to give a tenant three days' written notice before initiating eviction proceedings if a tenant fails to pay rent or another required fee. Additionally, an eviction notice must be “conspicuously” posted on the door of the rental property.
The measure limits the deposit to two months' rent.
Cash deposit
Under Senate Bill 63, 30 additional crimes, including some misdemeanors, would require cash bail.
The measure undermines changes in 2018 that allow judges to release most people accused of misdemeanors without bail. Advocates argue that people who leave prison without paying bail are less likely to appear in court, although national studies contradict that claim.
Judges are still free to set very low bail, but opponents say that is unlikely. They warn that the move could leave poor defendants stranded in prison, even if they are accused of crimes for which they are unlikely ever to go to prison.
A federal judge on Friday suspended for at least 14 days part of the law that would prevent charitable bail funds or individuals from releasing more than three people a year. Only those who meet the legal requirements for a surety company can do this.
Opponents filed a lawsuit on June 21, arguing that parts of the law were unconstitutional.